What is a paraboloid?

A paraboloid is a 3d surface, like a tall bowl or saddle. It is defined by two equations where one variable isn't squared and the other two are. Paraboloids come in two main types: the elliptic paraboloid (bowl-shaped) and the hyperbolic paraboloid (which looks like a delicious pringle :P).

Mathematical Formula

🚨 major boring alert! 🚨



The standard equation for an elliptical (bowl) paraboloid is:

zc = x2a2 + y2b2

The standard equation for a hyperbolic (pringle) paraboloid is:

z c = x 2 a 2 - y 2 b 2